1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in storage apparatus for handling waste fatty materials, such as fats, greases and oils, from restaurants and other food handling facilities.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the prior art to collect waste fats, oils and greases from restaurants and other food handling facilities in drums or barrels. Such drums or barrels are picked up by trucks periodically and carried to rendering or other processing plants for reclaiming the fatty materials. These barrels present many health and safety hazards. Persons who carry the hot greases or fats to the barrels usually have difficulty pouring into them and silverware and utensils which may have fallen in to such fatty materials may be poured into the barrels and lost. The present apparatus for collection of waste fatty materials has the further disadvantage that rain water and foreign matter is often collected in the open barrels and the apparatus is not sanitary in that the barrels and drums attract pests of various types creating a public health problem. The present practice is also unsafe in that the process of emptying hot grease, fats and oils has created spilling and slopping hazards for those that handle the materials. Another major problem is the theft of the waste grease barrels. There is no convenient way to identify them and companies now in the waste grease pick up and rendering business consider theft of the barrels to be one of their greatest problems. In handling waste grease barrels, a lid is secured on top by a snap ring and the barrels are rolled on their sides. This often results in spilling or loss of the entire contents when the lids occasionally come loose.
Prior art patents which are somewhat relevant to certain features of this invention are discussed briefly below.
Ross U.S. Pat. No. 1,831,687 discloses a sheet metal garbage or trash container having a pedal operated door.
Long U.S. Pat. No. 1,554,589 discloses a portable oil drain pan having a depression in one portion and a strainer for recovery of contaminates.